South Hill Park: Lake caught up in Bracknell Forest map saga

Labour councillor Mary Temperton, who currently represents Great Hollands North, has questioned why North Lake could be included in the Hanworth ward rather than the newly-proposed Easthampstead and Wildridings ward.

READ MORE: Council urges changes to commission's new map of Bracknell Forest

The change is being recommended by Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) after boundaries drawn up by the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) suggested the lawn and the lake of South Hill Park becomes part of the northern-most ward, while The Arts Centre lies in the southern-most boundary.

A response produced by the council to the LGBC’s boundary review  — which is taking place because some councillors currently represent hundreds more residents than others — explained the suggestion.

It read: “There is a strong view amongst residents that this area, along with The South Hill Park Arts Centre, is a single combined entity referred to locally as South Hill Park, with issues around anti-social behaviour, annual community events etc. often directed to the Hanworth councillors.”

But Cllr Temperton believes the adjustment will leave Easthampstead residents without their ‘own’ recreational space — an issue which could have planning consequences.

She told the News: “I am very happy to support all the proposals except the boundary redraw for Hanworth.

“I support the draft recommendation that the houses identified as ‘North Lake’ should be added to Hanworth but strongly oppose any redrawing of the ward boundary to include any of the recreational land to the south of these roads.

“Easthampstead and Crown Wood have the lowest amount of green space for their residents of all the Bracknell town council wards.

READ MORE: Here's what the council wanted Bracknell Forest's new map to look like

(the map drawn up by Bracknell Forest council in March)

“Easthampstead and Wildridings are two distinct communities and keeping both names for this new ward recognises this.

“Each should retain its own amenity land and play space.

“If the boundary is redrawn, Easthampstead residents will not have their own play space and recreational land.

“I appreciate that no electors would be affected by this boundary redrawing, but I believe good and effective local government involves safeguarding the amenities in every ward and green space is a valued amenity.

“An important planning aspect of every development is the inclusion of green space.

“This will be a precedent where the council has accepted that amenity land and play space are not important for each estate or development.

“When I was involved in the planning for Jennett’s Park, green space and play space was deemed very important.”

The boundary review process has seen many twists and turns already.

The LGBC’s own draft recommendation, published in June, varies greatly from the current map of Bracknell Forest.

This itself was hugely different from what BFC had proposed in March after a cross-party working group devised solutions to the borough’s representation issues.

READ MORE: Here's what the LGBC suggests Bracknell Forest's map looks like

Conservative Cllr Dale Birch chairs the working group, which includes Cllr Temperton.

Responding to the Labour councillor’s concerns, he said: “The submission that we’ve made represents the views of all the parties on the council.

“The only area that Cllr Temperton is not comfortable with is a redrawing of the line to encompass the whole of South Hill Park within Hanworth ward, where South Hill Park itself sits.

“All councillors were invited to make submissions and the working group considered all the submissions and agreed that it was credible to request the redraw of the boundary for Hanworth to include the area of South Hill Park that’s called North Lake and North Field.

(The map drawn up by the LGBC and published in June)

“We had working groups to ensure all councillors could have their say and the document that we’ve arrived at has been through that process.

“Every ward in the borough is affected in some way. Every councillor and every resident will be affected in some way.

“You can’t please all the people all the time.

“The recommendation is just that; it’s a recommendation to the LGBC.

“If anyone wishes to make other representations to the LGBC they can do so.”

Councillors will vote on the council’s response to the LGBC’s recommendation at a meeting on Wednesday, September 9 — two days after the public consultation closes.

Cllr Birch told the News the authority got special permission to submit its response after the cut-off point.

Following the closing of the consultation, the LGBC will consider comments made by the council and residents before publishing its final recommendation in December.

READ MORE: Why Bracknell Forest's map is changing

It will then go to parliament for approval in early 2021.

Cllr Birch added: “This is not our boundary review, it’s the local government’s boundary review.

“It’s up to the boundary commission to weigh up all the responses and come up with a result.

“It will be the LGBC that makes the final decision.

“The council is just a consultee in the process.

“They are not obliged to accept any of the recommendations or requests that any consultee makes.

“We will all find out [the final recommendation] on the 1st of December.”

Liberal Democrats councillor Thomas Parker, who currently represents Wildridings and Central ward, also sits on the working group.

Sharing his thoughts on the council’s response to the LGBC’s recommendations, he said: “I think the work of the cross-party working group was really good in coming up with a response to the LGBCEs recommendations.

READ MORE: How to submit your comments on the map

“We genuinely considered the impacts on community representation and spent lots of time listening to councillors and tinkering to get thinks in the best state we could.

“Lots of great contributions and robust conversations were had in the many meetings the working group had.

“In terms of my patch specifically. The divide between the town centre and Wildridings was always clear to me.

“The demographics are different, the issue profiles are different and the general types of concerns being raised are quite different.

“I think the Town Centre will be well served under the councils proposed arrangements.”